Holes In Your Yard

Holes in Your Yard: What Animal Is Digging?

Holes in your yard can be frustrating, especially when you are not sure what animal is causing the damage. In Virginia, yard holes may be caused by moles, voles, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, chipmunks, snakes using old burrows, or animals digging for insects and grubs.

The size, shape, location, and pattern of the holes can help identify the animal. Some holes are small and shallow. Others lead to larger burrows under sheds, decks, porches, crawl spaces, fences, or foundations. Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services, LLC., helps homeowners identify and resolve nuisance wildlife problems in yards, crawl spaces, attics, sheds, garages, and around homes.

Common Causes of Holes in Virginia Yards

Not every hole in the yard is caused by the same animal. Some animals dig for food. Others dig for shelter. Some use existing holes made by other animals. Common causes include:

Moles tunneling for earthworms and insects
Voles making shallow runways and small openings
Groundhogs digging larger burrows
Skunks digging for grubs and insects
Raccoons tearing or rolling turf while feeding
Chipmunks making small burrow entrances
Snakes using old holes made by rodents or other animals
Soil settling, erosion, rotting roots, or drainage problems

Mole Damage in Lawns

Moles are small mammals adapted for digging and living underground. They are often blamed for holes in the yard, but mole damage usually appears as raised tunnels, ridges, and mounds of pushed-up soil rather than clean open holes.

Moles feed mostly on earthworms and insects in the soil. Their tunneling can lift turf, disturb roots, create soft spots, and leave raised areas across the lawn. This damage can make the yard look uneven and may create mowing problems.

If you have raised tunnels, soft ridges, or molehills in the lawn, visit our mole removal page for more information.

Vole Damage in Yards and Landscapes

Voles are different from moles. Voles are small rodents that may damage grass, landscaping, bulbs, roots, tree bark, and garden plants. They often create shallow surface runways through grass and groundcover. Vole holes are usually small and may be found near mulch beds, shrubs, gardens, fence lines, and thick vegetation.

Vole damage is often noticed after snow melts or after vegetation is moved back. You may see narrow trails, clipped grass, small holes, or damage around the base of plants and young trees.

Groundhog Holes and Burrows

Groundhog holes are usually larger than mole or vole holes. Groundhogs may dig burrows near sheds, decks, porches, barns, crawl spaces, fence lines, gardens, fields, and building foundations. A groundhog burrow may have a large opening and a mound of dirt nearby.

Groundhog burrows can create problems around structures, gardens, livestock areas, and landscaped properties. Burrows near foundations, slabs, porches, or sheds should be taken seriously because the digging may undermine soil and create settling or access problems.

If you suspect groundhog activity, our wildlife removal in Virginia service can help identify the problem and recommend the proper next step.

Skunks Digging Holes in the Yard

Skunks often dig small, shallow holes while searching for grubs and insects. These holes may appear overnight and can be scattered across the yard. Skunk digging may be more common in lawns with insect activity, soft soil, or areas close to decks, sheds, crawl spaces, and porches.

If you smell skunk odor, see digging near a shed or porch, or notice repeated holes in the same area, a skunk may be feeding or denning nearby. Learn more on our skunk removal and skunk odors pages.

Raccoons Tearing Up Lawns

Raccoons may dig, pull, or roll back turf while looking for grubs, worms, insects, and other food. Raccoon damage can look more torn up than mole damage. Instead of raised tunnels, you may see patches of turf pulled back or disturbed areas where the animal was feeding.

Raccoons may also damage chimneys, attics, soffits, rooflines, vents, and trash areas. For more information, visit our raccoon removal page.

Chipmunk Holes Near Foundations, Walkways, and Gardens

Chipmunks may create small holes around patios, walkways, retaining walls, garden beds, foundations, and landscaped areas. Their burrow entrances may be cleaner-looking than mole mounds because chipmunks often carry soil away from the opening.

Small holes near hardscapes, steps, porches, or foundation areas should be watched closely. Repeated burrowing can create soil movement, settling, and access points for other animals.

Snakes and Old Animal Holes

Snakes usually do not dig large burrows themselves, but they may use holes made by rodents, moles, groundhogs, or other animals. If you see snakes around old holes, brush piles, wood piles, tall grass, sheds, or rock areas, the holes may be attracting prey animals or providing shelter.

For snake concerns around the home, visit our snake removal page.

How to Identify Animal Holes in Your Yard

When trying to identify holes in the yard, look at the whole pattern, not just one hole. Helpful clues include:

Size of the hole
Whether there is a dirt mound
Whether the grass is raised in tunnels
Whether the turf is torn up or rolled back
Whether holes are near a shed, deck, porch, garden, or foundation
Whether there are droppings, tracks, odor, or chewing damage
Whether activity happens during the day or at night
Whether pets are focused on a certain area

Quick Yard Hole Identification Guide

Raised tunnels or ridges: often moles
Small holes with surface runways: often voles
Large burrow near shed, deck, porch, or field edge: often groundhog
Small shallow cone-shaped digging: often skunk feeding activity
Torn or rolled turf: often raccoons feeding
Small clean holes near foundation or walkway: possibly chipmunks or rodents
Snake seen using a hole: often an old rodent or wildlife burrow

Do Not Seal or Fill Holes Too Soon

Do not immediately fill, seal, or block a hole until you know whether an animal is inside. Blocking an active burrow can trap animals underground, separate young from the mother, create odor, or cause the animal to dig a new opening in a worse location.

This is especially important around sheds, decks, porches, crawl spaces, garages, barns, and foundations. The animal should be identified first, and the site should be inspected before exclusion repairs are made.

How to Reduce Yard Digging Problems

To reduce wildlife digging around your yard:

Keep grass and vegetation maintained.
Remove brush piles, debris, and unused materials near the home.
Do not leave pet food outside overnight.
Secure garbage cans with tight-fitting lids.
Remove fallen fruit, bird seed buildup, and food scraps.
Repair crawl space doors, broken vents, and foundation gaps.
Keep sheds, decks, and porches closed off after confirming no animals are inside.
Address grub or insect problems if skunks or raccoons are digging for food.
Monitor gardens, mulch beds, and landscaping for new burrow openings.

When to Call a Wildlife Professional

Call a wildlife professional if holes are large, keep returning, are close to a foundation, are under a shed or deck, are associated with odor, or you see animals entering and exiting the area. Professional inspection is also recommended if pets are digging at the hole, if the hole may contain young animals, or if you are unsure whether the problem is moles, voles, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, snakes, or rodents.

Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services, LLC., can help identify nuisance wildlife problems and recommend the proper solution for animal holes, burrows, digging, and yard damage.

Related Wildlife Removal Services

Depending on what is causing the holes in your yard, these pages may help:

Holes in Your Yard Questions and Answers

What animal is digging holes in my yard?

Common causes include moles, voles, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, chipmunks, and rodents. The size, location, pattern, and type of damage can help identify the animal.

Do moles make open holes in the yard?

Moles usually create raised tunnels, ridges, and mounds of pushed-up soil. Open holes may be caused by other animals, although old mole tunnels may be used by voles, shrews, snakes, or other wildlife.

What is the difference between mole and vole damage?

Moles dig underground tunnels while feeding on earthworms and insects. Voles are small rodents that may create surface runways, small holes, and plant damage around gardens, mulch beds, shrubs, and grass.

What animal digs holes overnight?

Skunks, raccoons, opossums, and some rodents may be active at night. Skunks often dig small holes while looking for grubs and insects. Raccoons may tear or roll turf while feeding.

Should I fill holes in my yard?

Do not fill or block holes until you know whether an animal is still using them. Sealing an active burrow can trap animals, cause odor, or make the animal dig another opening.

Are holes near my foundation a problem?

Yes. Holes near foundations, crawl spaces, porches, sheds, or concrete slabs should be inspected. Burrowing near structures can create soil movement, access points, and possible damage.

Need Help With Holes in Your Yard?

If you have holes in your yard, raised tunnels, burrows under a shed, digging near a porch, animal activity around the foundation, or unknown wildlife damage, call Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services, LLC.

Call (800) 457-8630 for help identifying animal holes, yard digging, burrows, mole activity, skunk digging, groundhog holes, and nuisance wildlife problems in Virginia.

For local service information, visit our wildlife removal in Richmond page, our wildlife removal in Charlottesville page, or our Virginia wildlife removal service areas page.

We are consistently rated as a top wildlife removal company by our customers.

Our wildlife removal technicians are licensed and insured and have a Commercial Nuisance Wildlife Removal Permit issued by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. We are also associated with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), National Trappers Association (NTA), National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and other professional organizations.

National Trappers Association (NTA): www.nationaltrappers.com
National Pest Management Association (NPMA): www.npmapestworld.org